MORE people are suspected to have died with coronavirus in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area than anywhere else in Scotland, new statistics show.

According to the National Records of Scotland (NRS), Covid-19 has been mentioned in the death certificates of 122 people in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which covers Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire, since the outbreak began last month.

Across Scotland as a whole, 354 people are suspected to have died with coronavirus.

The figures cover a period from March 16 to April 5.

To place these statistics in context, the total number of deaths registered in Scotland from March 30 to April 5 was 1,741, while the average number of deaths registered in the same week over the last five years was 1,098.

NRS statistics capture all deaths registered where the certificate states that Covid-19 was relevant to the cause of death. This includes those where a positive test has taken place and also those where it is suspected that coronavirus was a relevant factor – and covers all settings, including hospital and community deaths.

More than 60 per cent of all deaths involving Covid-19 were of people aged 75 or over.

Pete Whitehouse, director of statistical services at NRS, said: “We are living in unprecedented times and all of these deaths are tragic.

"These statistics, when placed alongside the other important evidence being made available by the Scottish Government and Health Protection Scotland (HPS), will be valuable to the understanding of the progress and impact of the Covid-19 virus across Scotland.

“We have produced these statistics based on deaths involving Covid-19, so this includes any deaths where Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate, whether it is the underlying cause of death or a contributory cause, and includes registered deaths resulting from suspected or probable Covid-19.

“Using this methodology means that our statistics will differ from the number of deaths released daily by HPS which report on deaths with an associated positive test for Covid-19, and it is expected that NRS statistics will show a higher number of deaths.

"This is because NRS figures report on deaths involving confirmed and also suspected or probable cases of Covid-19.”

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